Dianne E. van der Wal: How Rat and Human Platelet Vesicles Are Different
Dianne E. van der Wal, Honorary Lecturer at the University of Sydney, Researcher at the ANZAC Research Institute, and Editor at Platelets journal, shared RPTH Journal’s post on LinkedIn:
”Carsten Deppermann, Olga An and I recently published our interesting results on differences rat versus human.
Platelets release small extracellular vesicles (EV) when activated; most are not procoagulant (involved in blood clotting).
Their surface and total carbohydrates (glycans) are very different! This is important to acknowledge when rat models of disease are used.
Glycans are key for cell signaling, immune recognition, and biodistribution to different organs.”
RPTH Journal, shared a post on LinkedIn about a recent article by Olga An et al:
”Are murine platelet EV studies truly translatable to humans?
We rely heavily on mouse models to study platelet biology and extracellular vesicles. But what if the vesicles themselves are fundamentally different?
A new RPTH study comparing human vs murine platelet-derived extracellular vesicles (PEVs) reveals important divergence.
Here’s the key signal:
- Murine platelets generate fewer PEVs than humans
- Surface receptor expression is reduced in mouse PEVs (GPVI, CD41/CD61, CD62P)
- Glycan profiles differ markedly, with reduced carbohydrate content in murine PEVs
What’s changing under the hood:
- Lower GPVI and integrins lead to reduced adhesion and signaling capacity.
- CD42b is partially restored with metalloproteinase inhibition, indicating a role for receptor shedding.
- Similar procoagulant potential, but subtle changes in PS-positive populations.
- Major glycan differences: reduced sialic acid, reduced galactose, increased GlcNAc in murine PEVs.
Conceptual insight:
Platelet EV function is driven by surface phenotype, not just cargo
Species-specific remodeling occurs during vesicle formation
Big questions for the field:
- How do glycan differences alter EV clearance and tissue targeting?
- Are we misinterpreting EV-driven inflammation in murine disease models?
- Should humanized systems become standard for EV studies?
Platelet EV biology is more complex than expected – and translation may depend on what’s on the surface, not just what’s inside.
Title: Comparative phenotyping of surface markers and glycans in murine and human platelet-derived extracellular vesicles
Authors: Olga An, Friedrich Reusswig, Viola Krenzlin, Carsten Deppermann, Dianne E. van der Wal
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